Tractor swing frame aligning means



(kt. 31, 1933. w, s, J0EE 1,933,018

TRACTOR SWING' FRAME ALIGNING MEANS Filed Dec. 29. 1952 s sheets-sheet 1Oct. 31, 1933. w s JQBE 1,933,018

TRACTOR SWING FRAME ALIGNING uEANs Filed Dec. 29. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2l l l R W J Oct. 31, 1933. w. s. JoBE TRACTOR SWING FRAME ALIGNING IEANSFiled nec. 29. 1932' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT oFr-lcE William' S. Jobo, Greensboro, N. C.

Application December 29, 1932. Serial No. 649.406

8 Claims.

This invention relates to aligning means for tractor swing frames andaims to provide means which severally and in combination assist insetting, maintaining, and/or resetting, the alignment of tractor swingframes relative to each other and relative to the longitudinal axis ofthe tractor.

As at present constructed the track assembly of track-laying tractors,as distinguished from the power creating unit, or engine, and the powerconveying unit, or transmission, comprises a sprocket shaft, or deadaxle, usually at the rear end of the tractor, upon the ends of which arejournalled outside swing frame-bearings carried by the swing frames ortrack-roller frames, upon which are mounted the several track rollers,the idle-sprockets for the tracks, track-tightening means, and variousguards, shields and other parts, the track being trained over the idlesprockets, track rollers, and drive sprockets journalled on bearingsadjacent the outside swing frame bearings. This construction is adoptedin order that the track-carrying swing frames may oscillate or pivotvertically about the dead axle to prevent strain or twist on unevenground.

Due to the heavy side thrusts to which the track-carrying units aresubjected in travel over such uneven ground, and particularly duringturning operations when one of the tracks may stand still while theother travels, it is necessary that these cantilever-mounted units bestrongly braced to hold them in alignment. It has accordingly becomestandard practice to employ for this purpose arms or extensions rigidlyconnected to the swing frames and extending towards intermediateportions of the dead axle, where these arms are pivoted to the axle bysocalled inside swing frame bearings. In practice these arms orextensions are usually made of angle stock which is bent down to clearthe power plant and transmission, and heat treated to obtain maximumrigidity without brittleness.

With this construction, however, it is not unusual for the track-framesto be forced out of alignment in use, due to bending of the insideswing-frame bearing arms by the extremely heavy side thrusts frequentlyexperienced, and in View of the heat treated character of the arms it isimpractical to attempt to straighten them.

The resulting misalignment of the track assemblies greatly shortens thelife of their parts as the enforced -lateral sliding of the track on theground in its travel under the swing frame not only wears out theground-contacting faces of the track shoes, but also puts severe sidethrusts on the track links, bushings and pins and produces lateralthrust between the track links and the track rollers and sprocketscausing rapid wear of these parts, and of the bearings supportso ing thesprockets and the track rollers.

For these and other reasons it is very desirable to maintain thealignment or the track assemblies, and my invention as above noted, aimsto provide means which severally and in combinac5 tion will assist inmaintaining and/or setting or resetting the alignment to reduce powerconsumption and wear to a With this end in view, my inventioncontemplates, severally and interdependently, the provision of meansincorporated fin a tractor or particularly devised for applicationthereto, to enable adjustment of the alignment of the track frames, toreactively resist lateral displacement of the track frames from normalaligned position, to indicate misalignment of the track frames, toindicate when realignment thereof has been reached, and to provideparticular constructions of such means and particular coordinationsltherebetween and between such means and various other tractor partssuch as the resilient idle-sprocket turning means, as may be conduciveof cheapness of manufacture, economy, strength and simplicity ofconstruction and operation, and convenience of application andadjustment.

In Athe accompanymg drawings illustrative of a preferred embodiment ofmy invention:

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic plan view of a swing frameassembly of a tractor showing v0 an embodiment of the several featuresof the invention in relatively heavy lines, and parts cooperating withor affected thereby, in relatively light lines;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a swing-frame realign- 95 ing means combinedwith an outside swing frame bearing;

Fig. 3 is a front end view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a section therethrough on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking inthe direction of the 100 arrows;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the aligning bearing proper of Figs. 2,3 and 4, removed from the bearing support;

Fig. 6 is a more or less diagrammatic sectional 105 view of one of themeans of Fig. 1 for reactively resisting displacement of a swing frame,taken at line 6--6 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by thearrows, and drawn to an enlarged scale; and

manner as by fabrication from structural steel.

channels 11, 12 (see'also Fig. 7). The front idler sprockets 13 may beof the usual or any desired construction, mounted on spiral roller orother bearings with dirt seals and carried by sliding boxes 14positioned in any suitable way. Any desired form of track tightener maybe used, and any desired form of safety release may be employed to allowthe idler sprockets to move back in the event of clogging of the track,to thus prevent undue strain on the track roller frame and track untilthe foreign material becomes dislodged, but in commotion with my swingframe aligning means I prefer to employ for reasons hereinafter setforth, sliding boxes 14 resiliently positioned as by helical springs 15and adjusting devices 16, which may be similar for example, to thoseshown in U. S. Patent No. 1,674,817, granted June 26, 1928 to C. L.Best.

l The track roller assemblies, one of which is shown at 17 in Figs. 6and 7, may also be of any desired type, as may the drive sprockets 18,their bearings, and the means for driving the sprockets indicated at 19;and if diierent forms of incidental parts require changes of design ofthe parts with which my invention is more especially concerned, suchchanges are of course contemplated by my invention.

Swing frame mounting Referring more particularly to the structure shownin heavy lines in Fig. 1, and embodying my invention, it will be seenthat the swing frames -A and B are pivotally mounted to the axle 10 byinside and outside swing frame bearings 20 and 21; the inside swingframe bearings 20 being journalled on intermediate portions of the axle10 and being attached to arms or extensions 22 which may be of angleform rigidly secured to the swing frames A and B at points substantiallyspaced from the axle 10 and braced by supplemental arms or extensions23, while the outside swing frame bearings 21 are journalled at theouter ends of the axle 10. As a result the swing -frames A and B arefree to pivot or oscillate Special swing frame tie To maintain andpreserve the alignment as far as possible, my invention provides aspecial tie interconnecting the swing frames A and B at a substantialdistance from the axle 10, and so associated with the swing frames as toreactively resist displacement thereof from the normal position ofalignment, while allowing the lateral play necessary to avoid breakagesand the vertical play incident to the oscillation of the swing frames.In its preferred forms, this swing frame tie, as hereinafter explained,is of particular utility in indicatingv when the swing frames becomemisaligned and when they lie in or have been restored to properalignment by means of parts 5 of my invention hereinafter described.

Referring to Figs. 1, 6 and 7 of the drawing! it will be seen that thisswing frametie may be combined or incorporated with the substantiallyflat leaf spring or other element 24 which assists the dead axle l0 insupporting the tractor power plant, (indicated generally by the brokenoutline on Fig. 1, and secured to these elements in any suitable way, asby the'journalled frame members 71 at the axle 10, and the springsecuring bolts 72 at the spring 24) and that while the tie may compriseany suitable means associating the ends of said element with the swingframes in a manner to reactively resist relative displacementtherebetween, the means preferred consists in providing each of the endsof the tie with a pair of downwardly faced opposed inclined surfaces 25,26, which, in the normal position of the parts, rest substantiallysymmetrically upon a pair of cooperating opposed inclined surfaces 27,28, provided on the swing frames. In the form shown, the opposedsurfaces 25, 26 are provided simply by appropriately forming the ends ofthe leaves of the leaf spring 24, and the inclined surfaces 27, 28 areprovided by a generally triangular member 29, preferably of heat treatedhardened steel, 100 suitably secured to the swing frame as by bolts 30passing through the channel 12.

It will be appreciated that with this construction, lateral displacementof either of the swing frames A and B away from the other will bereactively resisted by the surfaces 26 bearing against the surfaces 28,and that upon the occurrence of the limited displacement necessarilyallowed, the surfaces 26 will be wedged upwardly by the surface 28against their tendency to slide 110 downwardly thereon, which tendencyreacts to force the swing-frames back into alignment as soon as thedisplacing force is removed.

It will also be appreciated that the cooperating faces 25 and 27 act insubstantially the same way to reactively resist lateral displacement ofeither swing frame toward the other and to again urge the swing framestoward normal alignment when the displacing force is removed.

In addition the substantial vertical oscillation 120 of the swing framesrelative to one another, during travel over rough ground, for example,will increase the spacing between the relatively movable members 29,this increase in spacing being accommodated by upward wedging of thesurfaces 26 by the surfaces 28, bringing the reactive eiect into play toaid in limiting the extent of oscillation to which either swing-framewill be subjected thus to aid in snubbing the rise or fall of therespective swing frames and aid in returning them to normal horizontalposition. Moreover, it will be apparent that as either surface 27 or 28wedges upwardly the cooperating surface 25 or 26, there will be ahorizontal component of force, as well as the vertical component tendingto raise the spring end, and that this horizontal component will betransmitted through the element 24, to the connection thereof to thepower-plant, or to the opposed cooperating surfaces of the connection tothe other swing frame, where the horizontal component of the force willbe taken up and resisted, tending to snub or minimize the displacement.

Indication of condition of alignment As above noted, it is not unusualfor tractor swing frames to be subjected to such severe lateral stressesas to permanently strain them out of alignment, for example, by slightlydeforming the extension or arm 22 of the swing frame con- 150 nection tothe inside or center swing frame bearing 20. Even so slight a ent of theswing frames as may not be noticeablein a casual inspection of presenttractors will produce greatly increased wear on the parte, so it isevident that any means which will readily indicate the conditipn ofalignment by mere inspection will greatly facilitate the maintenance ofproper alignment and thus enable the operator to obtain maximum servicefrom the tractor. My invention contemplates the provision of suchindicating means, which, after running of the tractor a length or two ona level surface to allow the parts of the track assembly to take up anunstrained position, will indicate by mere inspection lthe condition ofalignment of the swing frames.

In the preferred embodiment disclod this means is provided byconstructing the tie ends and tie end supports to lie in symmetricalrelation when the parts are properly aligned, and to show a persistingabnormal relative position when the swing frames are not properlyaligned. Thus when the swing frames are properly aligned the surfaces 25and 26 at the ends of the substantially flat transverse spring 24 willrest symmetrically on the swing frame surfaces 27 and 28, but anyappreciable misalignment of a swing frame will cause one of saidsurfaces 25 or 26 to pull away from the cooperating surface 27 or 28,thus indicating by mere inspection, after level running, the fact ofmisalignment; and by mere inspection, upon adjustment of the meanshereinafter described and further level running, the completion of therequired adjustment.

In this connection it will be noted that the pairs of cooperatingsurfaces 25, 27 and 26, 28, are so proportioned that a sufficientbearing will be obtained in all contemplated positions of adjustment ofthe realigning means (hereinafter described) as by making one of each ofthe pairs of cooperating surfaces sufficiently wide to provide a fullbearing for the other cooperating surface in any contemplated positionof adjustment. In the particular form shown, this is accomplished bymaking the faces 27 and 28 wider than the faces 25 and 26 so that thelatter may have a full bearing throughout the contemplated range of`relative forward or rearward movement of the former.

If desired side guards 31 may be provided adjacent the tie end supports29, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, and limit pins 32 may be employed inconnection therewith, such parts beinglof any desired form, as, forexample, the forms shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,715,055, granted May 28,1929 to C. L. Best.

Realigning means` It has been noted above that misalignment is usuallycaused by bending of the arms or extensions 22 and that these membersare usually made of heat treated stock. It will accordingly beappreciated Athat it is not practical to try to straighten them in theeld if they become bent, and it-will also be obvious that frequently thetractor cannot be spared long enough to obtain a replacement arm, takedown the swing frame and put in: the new arm, even if the operator knowsthe alignment to be out, which he frequently does not with presenttractors. In accordance with my invention, means is provided so that theoperator, whenever he ascertains that a condition of misalignmentexists, may quickly correct this condition, without taking down theswing frame, by the mere making of a simple adjustment; thus savingunnecessary wear and tearonthetractcrandthetimeandexpense now requiredto realign the swing frames by replacement of parts such as an innerswing frame bearing arm 22. This means is preferably assoelated with oneof the swing frame in the disclosed embodiment the bearing 21, so thatthe relative position of the swing frame A or B and the axle 10 may bealtered to return the swingframetotruealignmentifithasbecome 86 In theembodiment disolod in Figs. 1 through 5 of the drawings I haveincorporated this means as a modified outside swing-frame bearing,particularly because of the accessibility thereof, and 90 it is theapplication of the particular means described at the outside swing framebearing that makes it desirable to employ the resilient adjusting means15, 16 with the sliding boxes 14, above mentioned. v

Referring to Figs. 2 through 5, it will be see that the form of aligningand bearing means there shown in detail, comprises a bearing supportingmember 40 constructed for rigid securement to the swing frame by beingprovided with a substantial foot 41 adapted to be secured to the swingframe in any suitable way as by bolts or rivets 42 (Fig. l). This footmay be drilled or drilled and tapped for securement to a particulartractor either in the original manufacture-there- 1m of or insubstitution forthe ordinary xed swing frame bearing of some particulartractor, or may be left undrilled so that it may be applied to varioustractors by special drilling to nt the work in hand.

The bearing support 40 is provided in its body with a cylindrical boreor socket 43 to receive the aligning bearing proper, and this socket 43may be shouldered at 44 to receive a press cap of ordinary form (notshown) to seal the structure against entry of dirt.

The aligning bearing proper, as best shown in Fig. 5, may comprise acylindrical portion 45 rotatably fitting the bore 43, eccentricallybored to form a journal 46 which receives and pivots 120 on the deadaxle 10 (Fig. 1).. Concentric with the journal 46 the aligning bearingproper preferably carries a skirt or flange 47 adapted to stand inprotecting relation to a portion of the sprocket assembly carried on theaxle 10, as indicated in Fig. 1. By forming this flange or skirt 47 onthe aligning bearing proper, and concentric with the journal bore 46, itwill be apparent that the skirt will stand in constant protectingrelation to the assembly irrespective of adjustment `of the bearing.

In the form disclosed this adjustment is effected by cutting out thecylindrical portion 45 of the bearing proper, as indicated at 48, toform clamping faces 49 thereon, and by providing the bearing 35 support40 with adjusting and locking screws 50 threaded through its walls inposition to engage the faces 49, so that retraction of one and advanceof the other will turn the bearing proper in its support to throw thesupport, and attached swing frame A or B, forwardly or rearwardly withreference to the axis of the axle-receiving journal bore 45. Turning ofboth screws 5 0 into engagement with the faces 49 will of course lockthe aligning bearing in adjusted position, and to 45 further insureagainst movement thereof, the screws 50 may each be provided with alock-nut 51, as shown.

Lubrication of the journal 45 may be accomplished in numerous ways. Onedesirable way 15o of effecting this' end is shown in Figures 2 through5, in which the journal bore 45 is provided with an oil groove 60 fedthrough a passage 61 extending upwardly through the cylindrical portion45, and

which communicates with an arcuate channel 82, which receives lubricantfrom a passage 63 to which is connected a high pressure lubricatorfitting 64. The arcuate channel 62 thus provides not onlyfor supply oflubricant to the passage 61 in any position of the bearing proper withinthe contemplated range of adjustment, but also supplies lubricant towork downwardly between the cylindrical portion 45 and the socket wall43 to keep these parts in adjustable condition, wherefore thisconstruction is particularly desirable. In the form shown, the insideswing frame bearings 20 are lubricated in the usual way by means oflubricator fittings 67.

Realigning operation With the illustrative construction described, whenthe operator is informed (as by persisting abnormal relation of thereactive displacementresisting surfaces 25 and 2 7 or 26 and 28 whenthese are used) that a misalignment of a swing frame to one side or theother has occurred, he can correct this misalignment simply by adjustingthe screws 50 to force the misaligned swing frame A'or B backward orforward with reference to the journal of its outside swing frame bearing21 on the axle 10, thus causing the swing frame as a whole to pivotabout its inside swing frame bearing 20 until it again reaches aposition of alignment. When the described reactivedisplacement-resisting means is used, the return of the surfaces 25 and27 or 26 and 28 to normal relation will indicate clearly that the properalignment has been reached. The width of the faces 27 and 28 will enablethe swing frame to slide forwardly or rearwardly under the faces 25 and26 during adjustment, maintaining a constant distance between the tie 24and the axle 10. During the adjustment the preferred mounting 14, 15, 16of the idle sprocket 13, willl compensate for movement of the swingframe relative to the track and drive sprocket 18, when this mounting isemployed.

As the swing frame itself is several times as long` as the distancebetween the inside and outside swing frame bearings 20 and 21, and asthe inside swing frame bearing arm 22, 23 connects to an intermediateportion of the swing frame, it will be appreciated that a very smalladjustment of the screws 50, with a correspondingly small ad- Vance orretraction of the swing frame as a whole, will produce a substantiallateral swing of its front end, so that a very small range of adjustmentwill enable one to compensate for substantial misalignment.

It is clear that the several features and combinations of features of myinvention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing fromthe essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the presentdetailed description to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not restrictive.

I claim as my invention:

1. Swing frame aligning means for tractors having an axle andtrack-carrying swing-frames including outside swing-frame bearings bywhich said swing-frames are pivoted to said axle and also includinginside swing-frame bearings attached to extensions of said swing framesand by which said swing frames are pivoted to said axle at secondarypoints and held in relative sesame alignment: said aligning means beingconstituted as follows: one of said swing-frame bearings including abearing supportingmeans fixed relative to a swing-frame, bearing meanspivoted on said axle, and means for adjusting the position of saidbearing means with reference to said bearing supporting means to produceswinging of said swing-frame with reference to its other bearing andeii'ect alignment of said swing-frame relative to the other swing-frame.

2..Swing frame aligning means for tractors having an axle andtrack-carrying swing-frames including outside swing-frame bearings bywhich said swing-frames are pivoted to said axle and also includinginside swing-frame-bearings attached to extensions of said swing framesand by which said swing frames are pivoted to said axle at secondarypoints and held in relative alignment; said aligning means beingconstituted as follows: one of the swing-frame bearings of each of saidswing-frames including a bearing supporting means iixed relative to theswing-frame, bearing means pivoted on said axle, and means for adjustingthe position of said bearing means with reference to said bearingsupporting means'to produce swinging of said swing frame with referenceto its other hearing that the swing-frames may not only be aligned withone another -but may both be maintained at substantially right angles tosaid axle.

3. A tractor of the type having an axle and swing-frames includingoutside swing frame bearings pivoted to the ends of said axle and insideswing frame bearings attached to inward extensions of said swing framesand pivoted to intermediate portions of said axle; said tractorcomprising means associated with its outside swing frame bearings foradjusting said swing frames forwardly and rearwardly with reference tothe ends of said axle to swing them about the inside swing framebearings and into correct alignments.

4. A tractor having a dead axle, swing frames pivoted to the center andends of said axle for vertical swinging movement thereabout, means foradjusting said swing frames horizontally each about one of its pivotpoints to effect alignnient or realignment of the same, and means forlocking the swing frames in adjusted position.

5. Tractor swing frame aligning and bearing means comprising a bearingsupport constructed for rigid securement to the swing frame, saidsupport having a cylindrical socket therein, a swing frame bearingcomprising a portion rotatable in said socket, said rotatable portionbeing bored eccentrically to receive and pivot on the dead axle of thetractor, and means for rotating said bearing in said bearing support andsecuring the same in various positions of adjustment to shift the centerof the eccentric bore longitudinally with reference to said support.y

6. A tractor of the type having an axle and swing frames includingoutside and inside swing frame bearings pivoted respectively near theends and center of said axle to thus provide for oscillation of saidswing frames thereabout, said tractor comprising means for turning saidswing frames in a direction at right angles to the direction ofoscillation thereof to adiust them to a position of alignment at rightangles to said axle.

7. For a tractor of the type having an axle and track-carryingswing-frames each pivoted to said axle at two points and thus held indefinite relation to said axle; swing frame aligning means comprising analigning bearing for effecting the piveting ei s. swing frame at one efsaid points; seid eiig bearing comprising e, bearingfmeans constructedto pivot on said axle at said point, l

.e nearing snppeing means construeted 'to be seemed to the swing-framein position to carry eeid bearing means at said point, and means foradjusting the position e2 said bearing means reietive to said bearingsupporting means, said v n: means being thus adapted to eilect rela]-tiv elient of the tractor swlng frames.

e. Fer e tracter e! the type having an axle and

